Spiritual Arias. Kai Kallastu (soprano), Leonora Palu (flute), Andrus Kallastu (organ)

Sat 28 November 2026 at 18:00, Pärnu Eliisabet Church

SPIRITUAL ARIAS
Kai Kallastu (soprano), Leonora Palu (flute), Andrus Kallastu (organ)

Programme: Bach, Handel, Vivaldi

The concert features arias by Bach, Handel and Vivaldi from sacred large-scale works. A Baroque sacred aria is musically similar to an opera aria; both may feature a similar lyrical and expressive style. While in opera an aria expresses the emotions of a character, a sacred aria focuses primarily on reflection on the content of the spiritual text. The dialogue between voice and instrument also plays an important role: both parts complement one another and intertwine into a unified musical whole.

Soprano Kai Kallastu earned a master’s degree in classical singing at Metropolia University in Helsinki, Finland, and has participated in numerous masterclasses. She has performed as a chamber singer, large-scale work soloist and music-theatre artist with various ensembles and in different countries. Her repertoire spans works from the Renaissance to contemporary music, and she has premiered experimental vocal works by several composers. Intensive creative work connects her with her husband, composer and conductor Andrus Kallastu, with whom she has performed dozens of vocal programmes.

Leonora Palu (born 1979) is an Estonian flautist and poet who has given concerts with various orchestral and chamber-music ensembles in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Germany, Austria, Italy and Japan. Her ensemble partners have included Age Juurikas, Irina Zahharenkova, Jorma Toots, Kristo Käo, Kirill Ogorodnikov, Repoo Ensemble, Hans Christian Aavik, Ines Maidre and many others. Palu is principal flautist of the Pärnu City Orchestra and often also performs as a soloist with the ensemble; most recently, she performed Malle Maltis’s Flute Concerto. She frequently performs contemporary music and has taken part in the premieres of works by many Estonian composers.

Composer and conductor Andrus Kallastu studied at the Tallinn Conservatory (now the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre) and the Sibelius Academy, and has worked as a freelancer since 2000. Several of Kallastu’s works reflect an interest in combining music with different art forms and in performance art. His interest as a performer and artistic director of projects is often connected with music theatre. In addition to traditional music-theatre activities, his aim is to develop specific areas of music theatre: mystery-like ecclesiastical composition and the visualised concert.

The concert lasts approximately 1 hour. Latecomers will not be admitted. Photography and filming are not permitted.

The concert series is accompanied by an audience education programme for students, under which a group of students and the teacher or other group leader accompanying them may attend the concert free of charge. To join the programme, please contact ooper@parnu.ee.

In cooperation with: Eesti Kultuurkapital, Pärnu City, EELK Pärnu Eliisabet Congregation, Tartu City, EELK Tartu University-Jaani Congregation, Autorfest, Pärnu Ooper.

MUSICA SACRA is a concert series whose aim is to present new works, give performers the opportunity to realise artistically striking concert programmes, bring high-level guest musicians to Estonia, and take concert projects from Estonia abroad. The concerts take place on Saturdays at six o’clock at Pärnu Eliisabet Church. The concert series is organised by Pärnu Ooper; the artistic director of the series is Andrus Kallastu.

Please pay the €15 recording supporter admission fee to Pärnu Ooper’s bank account at Swedbank:
Recipient: PÄRNU OOPERISELTS
Account: EE382200221016501589
Payment explanation: SALVESTUSE TOETAJAPÄÄSE

Founded on 5 January 1993, Pärnu Ooper has offered high-quality music-making and intriguing theatre solutions through distinctive productions. In addition to the standard repertoire of music history, Pärnu Ooper’s concerts and performances include mystery-like ecclesiastical compositions, contemporary opera, performances, multimedia productions, dramatised concerts and experimental music theatre. At the core of Pärnu Ooper is the international Repoo Ensemble, consisting of composers, performers, writers, visual artists, actors and other creative practitioners. Pärnu Ooper organises the SUVEAARIA festival and the MUSICA SACRA concert series, whose concerts take place in the acoustically excellent Pärnu Eliisabet Church. The artistic director of Pärnu Ooper is composer and conductor Andrus Kallastu.